A storage system typically comprises one or more storage devices into which data may be entered, and from which data may be obtained, as desired. The storage system may be implemented in accordance with a variety of storage architectures including, but not limited to, a network-attached storage environment, a storage area network and a disk assembly directly attached to a client or host computer. Storage systems are typically disk drives, wherein the term “disk” commonly describes a self-contained rotating magnetic media storage device. Disks within storage systems are typically organized as one or more groups, wherein each group is operated as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID). Further, most RAID implementations enhance the reliability/integrity of data storage through the redundant writing of data “stripes” across a given number of physical disks in the RAID group, and the appropriate storing of redundant information with respect to the striped data. The redundant information enables recovery of data lost when the storage system is inoperable or fails. Moreover, a disk or storage array of a storage system is a disk storage system which contains multiple disk drives. For example, a disk array provides increased availability, resiliency and maintainability by using additional, redundant components (controllers, power supplies, fans, etc.), often up to the point when all single points of failure (SPOFs) are eliminated from the design.
Moreover, storage systems typically provide logical volumes of data to computing systems, where each volume of data represents a logical storage unit, but in fact is usually implemented over several physical devices, e.g., RAID. Conversely, a self-encrypting disk (SED) drive of the storage system supports the encryption of a relatively small number of contiguous bands of data in the drive. For example, SED enables integrated encryption and access control within the protected hardware of the drive. Self-encrypting drives further provide the industry's preferred solution for full disk encryption, protecting data when the machines or drives are lost or stolen, as well as re-purposed, warranty repair, and end-of-life.